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Mr Field has now written to Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt to actively encourage hospitals to reduce, or even abolish, these charges by 2020.

He said: “Patients will feel as though Arrowe Park is asking them to take an unfair hit for its financial woes, and I suspect the temptation to jack up these charges is all too great for hospitals who find themselves in the red.

MP Frank Field

“Only an intervention from the health secretary can prevent these charges becoming a permanent money making measure.”

At the time of the price rise a Wirral University Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust spokesman said: “This increase in our car parking prices is the first for five years and, even at the new rate, they remain one of the lowest for any hospital trust in the North West and amongst the lowest in the country.”

Last year Frank Field welcomed Jeremy Hunt’s decision to exempt some drivers from having to pay hospital car parking charges, but today asked him to afford this protection to all patients, visitors and staff. Under the current guidance free or reduced charges or caps should be available for:

people with disabilities

frequent outpatient attendees

visitors with relatives who are gravely ill

visitors to relatives who have an extended stay in hospital

staff working shifts that mean public transport cannot be used

The hospital says parking concessions will remain in place for disabled patients and visitors, patients and their families who attend more than twice a week for a fortnight or more, relatives of terminally ill patients and the relatives of patients in intensive care, the high-dependency unit, neonatal unit and paediatric wards.

In his letter to the secretary of state the MP said: “I am much concerned that this series of charges violates the principle of patients being able to access a service that is free at the point of use.

“Might I therefore ask whether you would instruct hospitals not to increase their car parking charges this year, and actively encourage them to reduce, or even abolish, these charges over the lifetime of this parliament?”

A Department of Health spokesman said they would respond to Frank Field's letter "in due course".

He added: "All NHS organisations are expected to follow guidelines around hospital car park charges. Our clear new principles issued last August, set out our expectations and help the public hold the NHS to account for any unfair charges or practices.”